Justice
by Osidiano
Summary: A collection of drabble scenes from throughout the Ace Attorney games. The things that could have and should have been said, from phone calls and kick-boxing to sexual harassment claims and abandonment. Now with all of my pw kinkmeme commentbox fills.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer/Note: I do not own the Phoenix Wright games, or any of the characters mentioned in these drabbles. They belong to the series' creator and Capcom. I am not making any money from this, so please do not sue me. These scenes were written solely for my own amusement and that of anyone choosing to read it. They take place throughout Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney, may contain some spoilers for the final case, and is **unbeta'd**. Many of these are simply scenes that I wish had happened, or that I would have preferred to see happen in this way. Enjoy.

**Justice**

"Come home, Klavier."

The voice was soft, was sweet and amiable, but even over the phone, the young blond could hear the _twitch_ of skin at the corner of blue eyes, the cruel twist of mouth and raised brow that he knew would be there. That were always there when he called his older brother and the conversation moved from pleasant small talk to this matter. A part of him knew that, by all means, he _should_ go home to California. That part of him was the same tiny section of his mind that reasoned that he could not actually become European, no matter how many hours a day he spent perfecting his German accent, or how many words he substituted when speaking English.

"_Achtung_, Kristoph, I do not want to. I have started a rock band, now that I've passed the German bar; we're very popular here. I will send you a CD once we have enough songs for a recording, _ja_?"

Not that it mattered what that little part of Klavier's mind had to say; he rarely listened to it, anyway.

"You're too naïve." There was a pause as his brother waited for Klavier to stop chuckling. "You cannot change the world to fit your image, Klavier. Not everyone cares about truth and real justice the way you do."

"That's what sets us apart, my dear brother: you want to change the world, and I just want people to open up their eyes and hearts to what they are already waiting for and willing to accept. You are the unreasonable one. The 'Su—'"

"Don't paraphrase others' work. It doesn't suit you."

"Nor you."

"Good-bye, Klavier. I'll call again."


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer/Note: I do not own the Phoenix Wright games, or any of the characters mentioned in these drabbles. They belong to the series' creator and Capcom. I am not making any money from this, so please do not sue me. These scenes were written solely for my own amusement and that of anyone choosing to read it. They take place throughout Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney, may contain some spoilers for the final case, and is **unbeta'd**. Many of these are simply scenes that I wish had happened, or that I would have preferred to see happen in this way. Enjoy.

**Justice**

"Mr. Wright, do you or do you _not_ want an attorney?" the question was ground out harshly from between clenched teeth, the speaker's hands tightening into fists on top of the desk. Mr. Wright looked over the boy—_young man_, the speaker corrected himself sharply—with an air of disinterest, that bored, far away expression evident in dark blue eyes. Apollo scowled as he waited for a reply. He _hated_ that look from his client, despised the way the man treated him like an idiot child to be led through the courtroom by the hand. Sure, Phoenix Wright had once been his idol, and sure, he had studied the legend's old cases back in law school.

But Phoenix Wright had not been an ace attorney for seven years. Now, as Apollo had seen, he was a bum accused of murdering a stranger over a game of cards.

". . .Well, I did ask for you."

"Then please shut up and let me do my job."


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer/Note: I do not own the Phoenix Wright games, or any of the characters mentioned in these drabbles. They belong to the series' creator and Capcom. I am not making any money from this, so please do not sue me. These scenes were written solely for my own amusement and that of anyone choosing to read it. They take place throughout Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney, may contain some spoilers for the final case, and is **unbeta'd**. Many of these are simply scenes that I wish had happened, or that I would have preferred to see happen in this way. Enjoy.

**Justice**

"Unless I'm in a sixth grade classroom, Mr. Wright, I'm always the smallest guy in the room: how did you think I survived high school? I took boxing for eight years, and before I became an attorney, I was the light-weight champion of Orange County. Do _not_ fuck with me, sir."

Phoenix noted the practiced stance, the slight bounce as Apollo continually shifted his aforementioned light weight from the ball of one foot to the other. He rubbed at his now aching jaw where Apollo had hit him, and smiled up at the boy—_young man_, he corrected himself—from his new seat on the floor:

"Good to know. I'll keep it in mind for next time."


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer/Note: I do not own the Phoenix Wright games, or any of the characters mentioned in these drabbles. They belong to the series' creator and Capcom. I am not making any money from this, so please do not sue me. These scenes were written solely for my own amusement and that of anyone choosing to read it. They take place throughout Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney, may contain some spoilers for the final case, and is **unbeta'd**. Many of these are simply scenes that I wish had happened, or that I would have preferred to see happen in this way. Enjoy.

**Justice**

Apollo could not explain why he invited Trucy to the Gavinners concert with him. They had none of the same interests, and lived in completely different worlds thanks to their respective professions and the eight year age gap that separated them. She was eccentric and had a knack for misunderstanding everything he said; Trucy made fun of him, called him annoying nicknames, and thought so far outside the box that it made Apollo wonder if she even knew there _was_ a box. Of course, at first he had told himself he called her because she was cute, but then he had to remind himself that _no one _was cute enough for him to put up with the kind of bizarre behavior that Trucy exhibited on a daily basis. Also, she was far too young for him to be harboring any romantic intentions, and Apollo really did not think of himself as a child molester.

So there had to be another logical explanation.

"Omigosh, Polly, isn't this amazing?" Trucy gushed, clasping her hands in front of her with childish glee. She beamed back at him, her face flushed with excitement. Apollo smiled at her fondly, reaching out to straighten her silken top hat where it sad crookedly on her head. She really was pretty when she was happy by it was a different kind of pretty than he was used to. Trucy was pretty like a little girl, the kind of innocent pretty that made Apollo want to wrap his arms around her and protect her from the world until some prince came riding up on a white horse to whisk her off into a fairytale romance. He had never experienced anything quite like it before, but it was a blissfully invigorating feeling.

"Amazing. . ." he half-mumbled the reply, and knew that she had not heard him over the screaming of the crowd as the Gavinners finally took the stage. Apollo watched as Trucy clapped and hollered for her favorite band members, raising her arms above her head and closing her big brown eyes when the music started to play.

Of course, Apollo would not have called that outrageously loud noise "music," but to each their own, he supposed.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer/Note: I do not own the Phoenix Wright games, or any of the characters mentioned in these drabbles. They belong to the series' creator and Capcom. I am not making any money from this, so please do not sue me. These scenes were written solely for my own amusement and that of anyone choosing to read it. They take place throughout Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney, may contain some spoilers for the final case, and is **unbeta'd**. Many of these are simply scenes that I wish had happened, or that I would have preferred to see happen in this way. Enjoy.

**Justice**

"There's something going on, Gavin," Apollo told the prosecutor on their way out of the lobby. Klavier looked over at the younger man expectantly, toying with his keys in one hand. Apollo shielded his gaze from the sun, head uplifted as he regarded the cloudless sky for a moment. They were silent, just standing there at the bottom of the courthouse steps, for a few minutes before Apollo finally spoke. ". . .I don't know what it is between your brother and Mr. Wright, but it's definitely _something._ I'm going to find out the truth of what happened seven years ago and what's happening now, even if it kills me."

Klavier grabbed Apollo roughly by the shoulder, his keys falling with a metallic rattle to the pavement, turning the other attorney to face him.

"Don't say that, Justice. Don't ever say that again."

"Huh? What's wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Because if you're not careful, it will. It really will kill you to find out."


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer/Note: I do not own the Phoenix Wright games, or any of the characters mentioned in these drabbles. They belong to the series' creator and Capcom. I am not making any money from this, so please do not sue me. These scenes were written solely for my own amusement and that of anyone choosing to read it. They take place throughout Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney, may contain some spoilers for the final case, and is **unbeta'd**. Many of these are simply scenes that I wish had happened, or that I would have preferred to see happen in this way. Enjoy.

**Justice**

"Come now, _liebeling_, surely you cannot resist such an offer, _ja_?"

When his hands came down on her shoulders, squeezing them affectionately, Ema turned in her chair and smiled up at him. It was the beaming grin she usually reserved for forensic files as she cheerfully responded:

"Thank you for adding fuel to my sexual harassment case against you. This will really help me get that restraining order."

Klavier face fell, his mouth slightly agape as he jerked his hands back to himself as quickly as he could.

"Your _what_, Detective?" his accent fell away, and Ema laughed when she realized that he had been faking it the whole time she had known him.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer/Note: I do not own the Phoenix Wright games, or any of the characters mentioned in these drabbles. They belong to the series' creator and Capcom. I am not making any money from this, so please do not sue me. These scenes were written solely for my own amusement and that of anyone choosing to read it. They take place throughout Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney, may contain some spoilers for the final case, and is **unbeta'd**. Many of these are simply scenes that I wish had happened, or that I would have preferred to see happen in this way. Enjoy.

**Justice**

"Don't be so blind, _ja_, Herr Forehead?" Klavier laughed at Apollo's measly attempt to talk to the rock star about girls. He waved it off as inexperienced questions from the young. "I can have any woman I want. I am rock god, and a prodigy prosecutor. Who doesn't want me?"

"Uhm. . ." Apollo faltered, trying to think of a single female who refused to listen to Klavier's music. He snapped his fingers and pointed at the blond to emphasis his point when he finally came up with the answer. "_Ema_."

"Who?"

"Y'know, Detective Skye? Your. . .what do you call—?"

"Ah, _meine fraulein_!" Klavier chuckled again. "_Achtung_, why do you think I am always teasing her?"

"Because you like her, I thought."

"_Nein_, Forehead. I tease her because she doesn't like me, which is why I like her."

"That makes no sense what so ever."

"Of course it does. We always want what we cannot have, _ja_? If my _liebeling_ was ever receptive to my advances, I wouldn't want her anymore. She'd be just like every other girl in your country."


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer/Note: I do not own the Phoenix Wright games, or any of the characters mentioned in these drabbles. They belong to the series' creator and Capcom. I am not making any money from this, so please do not sue me. These scenes were written solely for my own amusement and that of anyone choosing to read it. They take place throughout Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney, may contain some spoilers for the final case, and is **unbeta'd**. Many of these are simply scenes that I wish had happened, or that I would have preferred to see happen in this way. Enjoy.

**Justice**

"I'm your mother. Both of yours, actually."

Apollo felt the blood drain away from his face, the smile he usually reserved for Lamiroir disappearing at those words. Trucy was squealing and laughing and saying how happy she was to finally meet her, was babbling about how they could all be one big happy family: her, and Lamiroir, and Daddy, and Polly. She had clasped the older woman's hands and was squeezing them, the beginning of tears in her eyes.

But Apollo said nothing, a sinking, hollow feeling taking up residence in the pit of his stomach.

"Polly, _say_ something," Trucy whispered to him fiercely, elbowing him in the side. He jumped a little at the contact, and turned his shell-shocked gaze to her.

"Apollo. . .?" Lamirior—_no_, his mind calmly scolded him, _your mother, Thalassa_—asked, her pleasant voice tainted with hesitation and concern. She wanted to hear how he had taken the news, probably because she could not see his expression. Apollo swallowed hard before speaking. "Are you—"

"I wish you had died," he said it quietly, numbly and without heart. "You were alive and well for _eight years_ before Trucy was born. When my father died, you abandoned me to go back to your old life and start a new family. You willingly gave up custody and orphaned me."

Trucy had her hand over her mouth in shock. Thalassa was crying silently. Apollo went on:

"I never saw or heard from you before your accident. You left me on my own to learn how to cope with this crippling perception. I had to grow up always wondering what was wrong with me.

"I wish you had died a long time ago."

Apollo stood and coldly left the room.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer/Note: I do not own the Phoenix Wright games, or any of the characters mentioned in these drabbles. They belong to the series' creator and Capcom. I am not making any money from this, so please do not sue me. These scenes were written solely for my own amusement and that of anyone choosing to read it. They take place throughout Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney, may contain some spoilers for the final case, and is **unbeta'd**. Many of these are simply scenes that I wish had happened, or that I would have preferred to see happen in this way. Enjoy.

**Justice**

"Diego Armando sold his soul to the devil for his rugged good looks and unparalleled lawyerly abilities. Shortly after the transaction was finalized, Mr. Armando sued the devil and took his soul back. The devil, who appreciates irony, couldn't stay mad and admitted he should have seen it coming. They now play poker every second Wednesday of the month--"

"Oh my gosh, _Daddy_ is _the devil?!_"

"It's news to me, too, Trucy-doll; I was pretty sure I saw him playing poker with Kristoph last Wednesday," Phoenix answered her gasped exclamation, not even bothering to look up from the morning newspaper. "Now, Apollo, make yourself useful and figure out what's wrong with the T.V."


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer/Note: I do not own the Phoenix Wright games, or any of the characters mentioned in these drabbles. They belong to the series' creator and Capcom. I am not making any money from this, so please do not sue me. These scenes were written solely for my own amusement and that of anyone choosing to read it. They take place throughout Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney, may contain some spoilers for the final case, and is **unbeta'd**. Many of these are simply scenes that I wish had happened, or that I would have preferred to see happen in this way. Enjoy. Prompt for this one was Phoenix becoming the next Evil Magistrate and Edgeworth finding out.

**Justice**

"I really needed to take a job that actually paid, since work was slow at the Borsht Bowl and the IRS was starting to get really suspicious since I've been making payments on the office but I didn't have any taxable income. . .and well, you know, I figured it would be nice if I could give Trucy an actual allowance instead of IOUs," Wright explained, his tired eyes focused somewhere in the distance. Edgeworth frowned as he crossed his arms over his chest and tapped one bicep thoughtfully. Well, this was an odd change in circumstances. . . He tried to take in the totality of the scene before him before coming to any conclusions. ". . .No snide commentary? Huh. You have changed."

"On the contrary. I am still the same man I was eight years ago, Wright. You, however, are now a villain."

"Yeah, I guess I am."

They were silent for a moment before Edgeworth offered his friend a small, awkward smile.

"You would have made a much better Samurai."

Wright looked down, his expression an unreadable mask. He was not angry or bitter or resenting the path he had chosen; he seemed apathetic, as though the long journey had stolen something precious and integral to his very being. It left him looking hollow and empty and so very, very tired. Edgeworth knew the look, and the feeling, all too well.

". . .I'm not the same man I was eight years ago."


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer/Note: I do not own the Phoenix Wright games, or any of the characters mentioned in these drabbles. They belong to the series' creator and Capcom. I am not making any money from this, so please do not sue me. These scenes were written solely for my own amusement and that of anyone choosing to read it. They take place throughout Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney, may contain some spoilers for the final case, and is **unbeta'd**. Many of these are simply scenes that I wish had happened, or that I would have preferred to see happen in this way. Enjoy. Prompt for this one was Larry, Phoenix, and Edgeworth playing a collectible trading card game with Edgeworth being a brat about the rules.

**Justice**

"You activated my trap, Larry," Phoenix stated proudly as he turned the card over to reveal its magenta background and a picture of a monster stalking forward. Larry groaned. "Sakuretsu Armor! Your monster is _so_ dead!"

"Oh yeah? Well, I. . .uh-" the brunet frowned at his cards, pulling one from his hand and slamming it down on the playing mat. "I use Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy your trap card!"

"That doesn't negate the effect of the trap; your monster still has to go to the grave," came the dry response from the third boy at the lunchroom table. Larry shot the speaker a glare.

"What? No way! Mystical Space Typhoon is a quick-play magic card; I can destroy Nick's trap before it takes effect. It totally has to do with the chain rules and spell speeds!"

"No, it doesn't," Miles wrinkled up his nose in distaste, crossing his arms over his small chest as he began to explain the rules. "Quick-play cards have a spell speed of 1, and Regular Traps have a spell speed of 2, so Nick's trap resolves before your Magic Card does. Using Mystical Space Typhoon in the middle of a Battle Phase just destroys the card before Nick can send it to the grave. In order to negate the effect, you'd have to use a Counter-Trap, which has a Spell Speed of 3, and states that it negates the effects of Trap cards. So, something like _Malfunction_, or _Seven Tools of the Bandit_, or _Destruction Jammer_, or-"

"NOBODY ASKED YOU!"


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer/Note: I do not own the Phoenix Wright games, or any of the characters mentioned in these drabbles. They belong to the series' creator and Capcom. I am not making any money from this, so please do not sue me. These scenes were written solely for my own amusement and that of anyone choosing to read it. They take place throughout the Ace Attorney series, may contain some spoilers for various cases, may be total crack, and are **unbeta'd**. Many of these are simply scenes that I wish had happened, or that I would have preferred to see happen in this way. Enjoy. Prompt for this one was a request for more prankster!Godot.

**Justice**

"For the last time, Prosecutor-"

"_Conquistador_, kitten," Godot corrected her with a smirk as he took another long drink of his coffee. "_Conquistador _Godot."

Lana brought her palm to her forehead with a resounding smack and groaned, trying to remind herself that she could not fire him for being annoying, no matter how much she wanted to.


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer/Note: I do not own the Phoenix Wright games, or any of the characters mentioned in these drabbles. They belong to the series' creator and Capcom. I am not making any money from this, so please do not sue me. These scenes were written solely for my own amusement and that of anyone choosing to read it. They take place throughout the Ace Attorney series, may contain some spoilers for various cases, may be total crack, and are **unbeta'd**. Many of these are simply scenes that I wish had happened, or that I would have preferred to see happen in this way. Enjoy. Prompt for this one was Apollo finding out that Kristoph is secretly a car.

**Justice**

"YOU'RE A WHAT?"

Kristoph winced at the powerful display of his intern's Chords of Steel, bringing a carefully manicured hand up to rub at one ear. He gave his charge a small, strained smile.

"There is never a car parked outside the office, and yet I always give you a ride home at the end of the day. Really, I'm surprised that you had not not realized it soon-"

"OH, MY GOD. THIS MEANS THAT I'VE BEEN _INSIDE YOU_."

Kristoph just sighed. Somehow, he really felt like Apollo was missing the point.


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer/Note: I do not own the Phoenix Wright games, or any of the characters mentioned in these drabbles. They belong to the series' creator and Capcom. I am not making any money from this, so please do not sue me. These scenes were written solely for my own amusement and that of anyone choosing to read it. They take place throughout the Ace Attorney series, may contain some spoilers for various cases, may be total crack, and are **unbeta'd**. Many of these are simply scenes that I wish had happened, or that I would have preferred to see happen in this way. Enjoy. Prompt for this one involved Maya becoming Mrs. Steel Samurai.

**Justice**

The phone was ringing. This would not have been so obnoxiously out of place if it was not currently - Edgeworth squinted blearily at the clock on his bedside table - three-fifteen on a Tuesday morning. His hand came down heavily on his small cellphone, fumbling to flip it open and hit the 'answer' button without so much as glancing at the caller I.D.

"I assure you that I can _and will _sue you for psychological damages linked to sleep deprivation," he snapped, dropping his head back down on the pillows. It had taken him ages to fall asleep. . . he knew that he would be spending the rest of the morning reading a light novel or pouring over case notes before he went into work now.

"Will asked me to marry him."

Edgeworth frowned, eyes still narrowed. He had not immediately recognized the voice, though it was distinctly female and _not _his sister. Who did he know that would call him at such an ungodly hour, knowing that they risked his infamous ill will? And what the hell had that message even meant? Those were the questions that he could have sworn were on the tip of his tongue, but what came out was a groggy: "Bweh?"

"Will. Will Powers. The actor who played the original Steel Samurai," the girl said, her tone implying a sense of shock. But Edgeworth's questions had all been answered, and suddenly, he felt very awake. The woman on the other end had to have been Ms. Fey; she was the only one who knew his secret admiration for the Samurai. He sat up, mouth working silently as she went on to needlessly clarify what this meant: "Miles, _the Steel Samurai just asked me to marry him._"

Edgeworth jerked back at the news, his free hand coming up to grip his other arm as if he had been shot. He stammered, stuttered, unable to force himself to comprehend this logically. "Y-y-. . .Wh-what did you say?"

"I said, 'holy shit, I'm gonna be Mrs. Steel Samurai.' But Miles! Miles, this means I get to have the Steel Samurai's baby!"

"You _bitch_."

"Please don't write angry self-insertion fanfics where you kill me and steal my husband, Miles. Our engagement goes public next week and I'll need a friend when I get kicked off the meme."

"I hate you. So. _Much._"

"You and everyone else in fandom!" Maya just laughed. "But seriously, I need to know how to deal with crushing the dreams of countless people, and figured you'd be the guy to ask."


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer/Note: I do not own the Phoenix Wright games, or any of the characters mentioned in these drabbles. They belong to the series' creator and Capcom. I am not making any money from this, so please do not sue me. These scenes were written solely for my own amusement and that of anyone choosing to read it. They take place throughout the Ace Attorney series, may contain some spoilers for various cases, may be total crack, and are **unbeta'd**. Many of these are simply scenes that I wish had happened, or that I would have preferred to see happen in this way. Enjoy. Prompt for this one Phoenix and Edgeworth finding and playing old copies of TF2.

**Justice**

"Kuschel-what?"

There was silence over the Steam channel, and the prosecutor flushed the same shade as his suit. He was thankful to be across the country where the other attorney couldn't see him.

"Edgeworth, did. . . did you just call me your 'cuddle-bear?'"

"NGOOO! I was. . .ah, that is to say. . .I-I was just trying to stay in-character."

"OBJECTION! Heavy-by-Medic is not a canon pairing!"


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer/Note: I do not own the Phoenix Wright games, or any of the characters mentioned in these drabbles. They belong to the series' creator and Capcom. I am not making any money from this, so please do not sue me. These scenes were written solely for my own amusement and that of anyone choosing to read it. They take place throughout the Ace Attorney series, may contain some spoilers for various cases, may be total crack, and are **unbeta'd**. Many of these are simply scenes that I wish had happened, or that I would have preferred to see happen in this way. Enjoy.

**Justice**

"You know, Pearls - and I don't mean to be bringing up a tender subject, but - I was reading over the old articles from back in the day, and I stumbled upon the article about your mom."

Pearl Fey looked up from her tea with a startled, wide-eyed expression. She was older now, and they both knew that the phrase 'back in the day' referred to the speaker's career days before The Big Bad Gramarye Trial, but even now Phoenix thought she still looked remarkably the same. She didn't look like the grown-up Mia would turn her into when channeled; there was something else familiar about the soft curve of her cheek and her broad forehead. Gone were the intricate hair loops, replaced this morning by the wet limp look of post-shower breakfast time.

She was watching him expectantly, he realized in the silence. Phoenix rubbed at the stubble on his chin absently, turned his heavy lidded gaze to the window over the kitchen sink, and continued. "It was the post-execution obituary blurb. . .I never realized before, but the reporter was a total idiot."

"What do you mean, Mr. Nick?" She asked, dropping her head to look back down at her tea. Even after all these years, she still called him that. _Cute._

"He kept referring to your mom as a man. Must have gotten tripped up on the name, kind of like DeKiller did with Andrews."

"No. . ." Pearl seemed hesitant to answer, but elaborated when Phoenix raised a brow in mild confusion. "My mother was a man."

"What?"

"Morgan Fey, my mother, was born a man," Pearl explained slowly, still not making eye contact. It was good, Phoenix thought, that she could not see the way he stared at her in open-mouthed shock. "That was why she was never very good at channeling; the gift isn't as strong with the Fey men. She and Misty were raised as sisters, because having sons in the main line is really dangerous and frowned upon. Mystic Maya and I have cousins from Grandmother's side who are just as interested in becoming the next Masters as anyone else, so. . . it's a lot of old family politics. I thought you knew."

". . .I. . . I had no idea. I thought you and Dahlia and Iris all had the same mother."

"We do," Pearl paused to take a drink. "My mother Morgan is their mother, too."

"But. . ."

"Mr. Hawthorne was transgendered. He gave birth to my half-sisters, and he's not my father."

"So. . ." Phoenix furrowed his brow. "Your mother is a man and your father. . . is a woman, then?"

"Yes!" Pearl seemed pleased that he was finally getting it. She offered him a smile and reached into the bag on the seat next to her. After a few moments of searching, she handed him a worn photograph of what appeared to be two young, and incredibly recognizable, women. "My father was a performer; her troupe came up to Kurain to try to study the channeling technique. I think they wanted to add it to their magic act."

Phoenix felt his blood run cold.

"Pearls?"

"Hmmn?"

"You need to stop dating Apollo _right. Now._"


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer/Note: I do not own the Phoenix Wright games, or any of the characters mentioned in these drabbles. They belong to the series' creator and Capcom. I am not making any money from this, so please do not sue me. These scenes were written solely for my own amusement and that of anyone choosing to read it. They take place throughout the Ace Attorney series, may contain some spoilers for various cases, may be total crack, and are **unbeta'd**. Many of these are simply scenes that I wish had happened, or that I would have preferred to see happen in this way. Enjoy. Prompt for this involved abortion, and **MAY CONTAIN TRIGGERS DUE TO GRAPHIC DESCRIPTION OF THE FETUS. IF YOU ARE SQUEAMISH, SKIP THIS ONE!**

**Justice  
**

She had been feeling sick, tired, lethargic. It wasn't like her. At the end of the first week of non-stop nausea and a toast-only diet, Adrian finally went in and saw the doctor. But there was no fever, no signs of a virus. The doctor took a blood test to check for bacterial infection; he said he'd call her back in a few hours if she was too busy to stay for the results.

Adrian opened her schedule and double-checked the time. Of course she was too busy; Engarde had an interview with Pop Culture magazine in an hour, and then straight to hair and makeup to prep for the filming of next week's Nickel Samurai episode. From there she needed to make sure he made it to his live-action performance at the Sunshine Coliseum, and she already knew that he would want to squeeze in a nap between the two acts. And he had to eat somewhere in there, too. She didn't have time to be sick, or to hang around the doctor's office doing nothing. Adrian shook her head, thanked the doctor, and told him she would receive the information via telephone. She gave him the number of her pharmacy in the event that the blood work led to a prescription so he could call that in as well and she could pick it up at her leisure.

When she left the clinic, she didn't think much of it. She buried herself in her work as a manager.

Two hours later, she was holding her cellphone up to her ear in shock, not quite hearing the doctor as he explained the results of the tests. Her back was to the wall in the back hallway of the Sunshine Coliseum, the concrete cold on her skin. Her legs felt weak. She didn't think she could breathe.

"-You're pregnant. Congratulations."

_This is not something to be celebrated, _she thought bitterly, choking back tears. This was not something that she wanted.

"Ah. . .was this unplanned?" the doctor asked, as if sensing her resentment. Or perhaps he had just heard the choked way she clamped a hand over her mouth, the stifled sound of her crying over the phone. She didn't respond. He went on; this was probably not the first time he'd given this speech. "A lot of pregnancies are unplanned. It's okay. I've written out a prescription for prenatal vitamins for you and sent it to your pharmacist. If you choose to go through with this, you should start prenatal care right away; the sooner you do, the healthier the fetus will be."

Adrian didn't say anything. She pressed her hand over her mouth harder to keep quiet.

"Is your boyfriend or the father able to help you?"

She shook her head, realizing only after she had done so that the doctor could not see it. Her mind drifted to the stage and Engarde. . . she wouldn't tell him, she knew. Adrian didn't really care what he thought or wanted. ". . .No. There is no father."

"If you have any questions, or you just need to talk, you can always come in or make an appointment," the doctor assured her, his voice calm like he meant to be soothing. She would not be soothed. "I can. . .I can give the number for other services, too, if you need them."

"Thank you," Adrian finally said, and she meant it. "But I'll be all right. Have a good day."

She hung up, and her fingers were shaking as she dialed the next number, but she knew what she had to do. Adrian called her local PPH, and made her appointment for the next day.

* * *

The paperwork was daunting, was terrifying to fill out. Her hands shook and she cried more than once in the lobby, felt like she had to keep her head down the whole time so that no one would notice. They told her she had to have an ultrasound, and asked if she wanted to see the pictures. She could have smacked the technician, but managed to keep her cool long enough to tell them that wasn't necessary.

On the paper, it asked her to check a box if she wanted to be told the gender.

Adrian swallowed hard, staring at the letters. Why the hell would she want to know that? She didn't want to think of it in terms of gender, in terms of her first son or first daughter. It wasn't a baby yet, she kept telling herself. That was the only way she knew how to go through with this; it wasn't a baby. She wasn't killing a baby. It was a group of cells that grew at an uncontrollable and exponential rate. Tumors did that, too.

She wanted to think of the whole pregnancy like cancer, the abortion like chemo. It should have made the whole thing easier.

It didn't.

* * *

Eight weeks. She had been pregnant for eight weeks and not even realized it. The lack of a period should have tipped her off, she knew, but she had stressed. Her periods fluctuated all the time; she hadn't really thought to keep track of them. She was on the patch. This sort of thing wasn't supposed to happen.

The clinic personnel had left her in a small room with a disclaimer and a pill, sitting there staring at her accusingly beside the small glass of water. When she took it, it would terminate her pregnancy. In twenty-four hours, she would take another pill, and expel the dead fetus. Adrian put her head in her hands.

She hadn't even known she was pregnant, and in less than a day, it would all be over.

* * *

Adrian didn't talk about it after leaving the clinic. She drove home, called in to work sick for the weekend, and laid down in bed with a heat pack and some soup. When the cramps and bleeding came the next morning, she cried and clawed at her sheets. She dragged herself to the restroom and threw up, the medication making her vomit grainy and acidic. She huddled on the toilet, shaking, for hours as she passed blood clots the size of her fist. It felt like the inside of her uterus was sloughing off, dripping down in dark red-black clumps.

She finally stood when the worst was over, glancing down at the mess in the toilet as she reached out to flush the evidence away. Her eyes caught on it, and her throat closed tightly around her desire to scream:

At eight weeks, fetuses had fingers.

* * *

The weekend was Hell. She had nightmares of seeing the fetus - not a fetus because it had been a baby, and she knew it because she had _seen it_, for God's sake - and of hearing it crying, of seeing its warped, underdeveloped little hands reaching for her. She woke screaming for weeks after.

Adrian felt depressed, and sick with herself. Engarde tried to cheer her up with kind words, but it was obvious that he was both confused and frustrated by her behavior. She stopped smiling, closed in on herself. She went to work feeling cold on the inside and was too afraid to let anyone find out what had happened.

He told her she was acting crazy, suggested a therapist. Adrian agreed, but didn't tell him why.

* * *

"Don't get me wrong," she told the other woman, the therapist sitting across from her during their third session. The topic of her abortion had come up early as a major influence. A 'traumatic event,' as it were. "I'm pro-choice. Every woman has the right to choose what she does with her body. And I made my choice; I wasn't ready to have a baby. I wasn't ready to put my career on hold. Keeping the baby would have been the wrong decision."

". . .It sounds like you feel pretty conflicted about this, Adrian."

She looked down at the floor, eyes narrowed. "I wasn't ready for this, either. I didn't. . .I didn't want to have to do this. Nobody looks forward to this kind of thing. This wasn't a decision that I _wanted_ to make, it was just something that I _had _to do. Carrying to term wasn't an option for me. Waiting to give myself time to adjust to the idea that I was going to have a baby and then suddenly that I wasn't going to wasn't an option either. After eight weeks, you have to get a surgical abortion. That wouldn't have been right for me. I'm against invasive procedures."

Silence as she collected her thoughts.

"You know, people act like getting an abortion is a cop-out. Like it's a way to escape from consequences, but that isn't true. It doesn't matter what you do: you're going to have to deal with it one way or the other, for the rest of your life. I hate that I have to turn on the news and listen to people tell me that I'm a bad person for knowing I'm not ready, or that I'm an irresponsible slut for getting pregnant in the first place. There isn't a right choice or a wrong choice. There are just decisions, and neither was one I ever wanted to make."


	18. Chapter 18

Disclaimer/Note: I do not own the Phoenix Wright games, or any of the characters mentioned in these drabbles. They belong to the series' creator and Capcom. I am not making any money from this, so please do not sue me. These scenes were written solely for my own amusement and that of anyone choosing to read it. They take place throughout the Ace Attorney series, may contain some spoilers for various cases, may be total crack, and are unbeta'd. Many of these are simply scenes that I wish had happened, or that I would have preferred to see happen in this way. Enjoy. Prompt for this involved Valante Gramarye meeting Max Galactica.

**Justice**

Valant hated playing cards with Zak. It was impossible to win against the other magician, and every good hand either man managed to lay down was met with suspicion of foul-play. He supposed that was only to be expected, of course, since they were both masters of illusion and slight of hand.

"Two pair, eights and queens. Speaking of queens," Zak remarked, setting his cards down face up for scrutiny. Valant glowered at the spread - all hearts and diamonds, the red a perfect metaphor for the bloodbath this game was becoming - and tossed his cards down with a sigh and muttered 'cheat.' Zak pulled the chips over to his side of the table. "Galactica is in town. Back from the circus tour."

"And?" Normally, Valant would have used this as an opportunity for a verbose and snide commentary, perhaps focusing on Zak's origins or sense of style. But that would have been before he lost the hand, and his top hat, and his favorite cane, in the rising antes. As it was, he felt moody and significantly less talkative. Zak smiled, and shuffled the cards.

"They say he can fly."

"It's a tawdry trick by a talentless tart, Zak; I bet he uses _wires_."

Zak's smile took a sharp edge, a little crooked on one side. Valant's stomach dropped ominously.

"I'll take that bet."

* * *

"So, Valant? Did you find out the boy's trick?" Zak was leaning against the door frame of the younger magician's dressing room, his silk top hat tilted a little too far back and exposing a large expanse of his tanned forehead. He was grinning like the cat that ate the canary, like the fox in the chicken-house, like - Valant looked away with a scowl, cutting off his own line of thought. For a moment, he was unable to speak; his throat closed around any attempt and he had too much pride to sit there flapping his lips like a landed fish. ". . .Are you. . . are you _sparkling_?"

Valant wasn't proud of what he had to do in order to secure the secrets of Max Galactica's famous flying stunt. His jaw tensed, teeth clenching together as Zak's boisterous laughter erupted from behind him. Heat rose to his cheeks, staining them as red as those his partner's cape, flushing down his throat and disappearing into his own costume.

He was thankful for the blush; perhaps it would mask the purple lipstick smears on his face and collar. Maybe they would be mistaken for bruises. He only hoped he could be so lucky, since the light was obviously catching on the tiny flecks of glitter on his skin, in his dark hair, and sticking to his clothes.

Valant promised himself three things that night: One was that he would never again gamble with Zak Gramarye. The second was that he was absolutely never telling anyone how Galactica had managed to fly over those crowds at the circus; it would remain a secret tactic in his magician's repertoire until he could make the most use of it. And finally. . .

"You know," Zak finally sputtered between bouts of laughter, clutching at the door frame for support. "I've heard rumors that Galactica _comes glitter_."

"Shut. Up. Zak."

Finally, he promised himself he would find a way to get back at Magnifi's favored prodigy if it was the very last thing he did.


	19. Chapter 19

Disclaimer/Note: I do not own the Phoenix Wright games, or any of the characters mentioned in these drabbles. They belong to the series' creator and Capcom. I am not making any money from this, so please do not sue me. These scenes were written solely for my own amusement and that of anyone choosing to read it. They take place throughout the Ace Attorney series, may contain some spoilers for various cases, may be total crack, and are **unbeta'd**. Many of these are simply scenes that I wish had happened, or that I would have preferred to see happen in this way. Enjoy. Prompt for this involved a couple with a large age difference.

**Justice  
**

When they met for the first time, she was little and cute and endearing. They bonded over snack food and silly pranks, talked about how to tell good guys from bad guys and made promises to keep their interaction secret. He thinks that things haven't changed so much now, even though ten years have passed. She's not little anymore, and he doesn't have to worry about her father because the man isn't alive anymore, but the whole thing seems sketchy and leaves him feeling kind of sleazy. He's still lying when the prosecution asks him to testify.

_'Where were you, Detective?'_

_'Home.'_

_'Can anyone confirm that?'_

_'. . .No, sir. I was alone.'_

Except that he wasn't alone. He's lying to protect her again. But that's not true and they both know it; she won't get in trouble for this. He will. He'll lose his badge and go to jail, and it won't matter that she kissed him first or was the one to suggest that she spend the night. He didn't drape her scarf over the back of the couch, didn't ask her to straddle his lap in that too-short skirt of hers. It had not been his idea for her to bury her fingers in his hair and kiss his jawline softly like that, giggling at the way her lips brushed over his three-day stubble. He had not asked for her to pull him back to his bedroom, all beaming grins and murmured nicknames.

_'Come on, Gummy. . .please?'_

He just hadn't said 'no.'

She isn't a little girl anymore. She is tall and thin and beautiful, with the same big smiles and honorable heart that made her so special when she was younger. He hadn't liked her that way when they first met, but things were different now. Different, and yet still completely unchanged.

_'Will that be all, sir?'_

_'Be careful, Detective. You've been acting odd lately.'_

He thinks back to this morning, to her standing in his hallway in nothing but her knee high socks, her dark hair all undone and hanging to her waist. He remembers her pushing him back into the shower so that she can join him - telling him it wasn't fair to wake up before her and then get ready so quickly. She has to make a big entrance; it's what good thieves do. He knows that he has been acting suspicious, has been checking over his shoulder and locking doors behind him. He has been keeping the curtains closed at home every since that first night.

His mind drifts to this evening, to when she'll meet him at his car after his shift at the precinct is over. She'll throw her arms around his neck, will laugh at the way he freezes and checks to make sure no one in the parking lot can see them.

It's not okay for anyone to know yet. She promises she'll keep it a secret until her birthday. When they go out, people will assume that he's her father, or an uncle, or a much older brother; anything but what they both know it really looks like. He'll let them think that.

But next year, when she turns eighteen, he'll tell them all that it's _exactly_ what it looks like, pal.


End file.
